State Budget Outrage

Mayor Bloomberg has expressed outrage following the $132.5 billion budget deal made by the governor and state legislative leaders, which includes deep cuts that disproportionately fall on New York City. We appreciate the mayor’s outrage. We’re outraged too, and want to work together toward a solution.

We urge Mayor Bloomberg to keep the millionaire’s tax for New York City. If Albany won’t look out for the over 1.8 million New Yorkers who live below the poverty line, the one-third of city residents who rely on Medicaid, the 17,000 children who stand to lose daycare, and the one out of every four working New Yorkers who rely on food stamps — then we must.

The money generated from a millionaire’s tax at the city level would prevent thousands of teacher layoffs as well as draconian cuts to social and human services that millions of New Yorkers rely on to live. This is a fair and responsible solution. Wall Street cash bonuses in 2010 topped out at $20.8 billion. We’ll still be living within our means; we’ll just be making better choices. That’s why the vast majority of New Yorkers agree with us. A poll taken on Monday showed that 7 out of 10 new Yorkers supported the millionaire’s tax.

We appreciate Mayor Bloomberg’s outrage at the prospect of making even deeper cuts to New York City’s budget than previously anticipated, and we join the mayor in his indignation at the state budget’s inequitable treatment of New York City. Our proposal would still require Albany’s approval, but if Mayor Bloomberg would stand with us and advocate for the tax — as part of New York City’s budget, in the coming months — we know it could be done.